The Strangest Thing
by OmenProphecy
Summary: Annie was a captive for years. Her legs were shattered so she couldn't dance, and she wore a collar so she couldn't sing. But when she escapes, she learns why she was captured in the first place. The Death Eaters come after her again, but this time, she isn't going back. Annie would be free, no matter the cost.
1. Chapter I

**_I_**

Poor girl, I heard the workers say as they passed through the halls. I didn't know exactly how I looked to them, but it must have been bad.

My legs were both broken, in a million different places. The people with the strange marks on their left forearms came in every week to make sure that they hadn't healed. They wanted to be sure I couldn't dance. Don't ask me why- I have no idea. Only the muttering of some of the more insane ones gave me that little clue.

It wasn't hard to recognize the crazy ones. They were the ones who smiled as they shattered my bones again.

There was a collar around my neck, and it squeezed my throat tightly when I made a sound.

Again, I don't know why.

Besides that, I was fairly normal-looking, I supposed. I was bathed every other day, I was fed regularly, and I was provided with entertainment.

The door opened with a creak, and in stepped Narcissa. I perked up. She was about my age then, I think, anywhere between fifteen and eighteen, and she was always kind to me.

Okay, I don't know how old I am, shoot me.

This time, Narcissa had the gravest look on her face. She was trembling. I held out my arms for a hug. She leaped forward and sobbed into my chest.

_What's wrong? _I signed to her.

Narcissa sniffled, then showed me her left forearm. The snake and skull that I was so familiar with had been branded there. I stroked her hair, letting her cry. It was certainly something to cry about.

Suddenly, she sat straight up. I looked at her curiously. What was she about to do?

Narcissa pulled out a smooth, polished stick, the same thing that my tormentors used on me. I cringed back a bit.

She looked down at the object in her hand. "Oh," she said. "This is my wand. I can heal you with it and set you free."

_Sounds good to __me_, I signed.

"Emandan Fracti," she whispered, flicking her wand in my direction. Agony ripped through my legs as the bones moved back into place for the first time in years. My scream was cut off by the collar, choking me. I sputtered for air, fighting the pain back, until it was just barely manageable. Narcissa used magic to remove the collar.

I hummed low in my throat, trying it out. Narcissa's eyes glazed over, and I immediately stopped. "Thank you so much," I whispered. We hugged one last time. "I'll get you out of here, too, one day," I vowed. She nodded, and we both cried.

Then Narcissa had to go. She left the door ajar, and as soon as she was far away, I crawled into the corridor, wincing through the twinges in my legs. It would be a long time before my legs completely healed. It was safer like this.

A smell hit me like a wave. It was slightly metallic, and very musky. I don't know what came over me in that instant.

I started to sing.

All sounds of movement stopped. I sang for everyone who could hear me to come stand before me. They did, without hesitation. I even saw some animals in the throng.

I checked carefully for Narcissa, but she wasn't there.

I sang for them to forget who I was, what was happening, and that I was ever here. They all collapsed.

That was almost too easy. There was something wrong.

I dragged myself forward, panting loudly. Footsteps pounded behind me, and just as I was about to sing again, a hand clasped over my mouth. The man (yes, I could smell him) hoisted me into the air, trapping my legs.

I bit down on the man's hand as hard as I could, tasting blood. Bone crunched in my mouth.

I sang for him to forget, just like I had with the others.

Then I made my escape. I got to a forest before I had to rest.

Cursing my barely-mended bones, I climbed into a tree, just like the characters in so many of my books had done. The physical anguish was almost as bad as when Narcissa'd set my bones, but I managed. I went out like a light just as dusk began to fall.


	2. Chapter II

**_II_**

_I am wonder, I am hope, I am thunder, I am the forever upward slope.  
I am fear, I am pain, I am near, I am fairly sure that I'm insane..._

A little girl sat next to me, humming quietly. The words I heard weren't coming from her. "Hello!" she said once she noticed I was awake.

I rubbed my eyes. "Hi," I said uncertainly. I moved to climb down from the tree, then remembered too late that my bones still hurt like hell when I moved. The pain was blinding. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The air whooshed out of my lungs, and I laid there for a few moments trying to get it back.

The girl grabbed my hand and squeezed it, chattering all the while. "My name is Nikki, short for Nicole. I'm seven today! What's your name? How old are you? Why were you sleeping out here?"

I waited until she took a breath before answering her, gritting my teeth through the agonizing twinges. "My name is Annie, short for Anastasia. I think I'm fifteen, but I'm not sure. I'm sleeping out here because I ran away." That was funny. I wouldn't be running anywhere any time soon.

She didn't hesitate to ask more questions. I couldn't help but laugh. "That's a pretty name. How do you not know how old you are? Who were you running away from?"

"I don't know how old I am because I forgot my birthday a while ago. I don't know how long I was in there, but I know I was ten when they kidnapped me." I was lying about the kidnapping part. My dad gave me to them, but Nikki didn't need to know that.

"Oh," was all she said. She didn't notice that I hadn't answered her last question.

Suddenly I had a few questions of my own. "What are _you _doing out here? Where are your parents?"

"I ran away, too."

I slipped my hand into Nikki's. "Why?"

She looked up at me, eyes shining with tears. "They were going to give me away."

We were silent for a while after that. "You can stay with me if you want to," I said finally. She tackled me in a hug, and we both landed in the grass. She didn't seem to care very much that it hurt whenever I moved. She laughed before getting up again. I'd already forgiven her. She was seven, what did she know about pain?

I knew exactly where we needed to go, but I had no idea how to get there. Until I did, I would have no problem getting us food. My new-found ability to get people to do what I wanted would definitely come in handy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

One thing that I've learned from living like this: morals don't help you survive. I didn't care about 'taking away someone's free will'. It was fine, and it only lasted as long as it took to get me what I wanted. I absolutely refused, however, to take more than we needed. Someone else could need it more than we did.

Nikki didn't have a problem with it either. Whatever it took- that was our mantra. So we survived, my leg healed in time, we had a place to sleep every night, we had enough to eat, and we were well on our way to our destination: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I wanted to go there mostly because that was the place my father didn't want me to go, but also because Nikki and I eventually realized that she, at least, was magical. I was magical as well, but I didn't know if I had the kind of magic that Narcissa and Nikki did, the coach-able kind.

Which brings us to the day we arrived at the gates. It was September 1st, and Nikki and I got on the train with the rest of the students. I hadn't known where to get Nikki school supplies, but I figured that we could get some once we arrived. Everyone else wore black robes, balancing heavy trunks and pet cages and carriers. We attracted odd looks as soon as we stepped through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, but Nikki and I ignored them.

We sat together in a vacant compartment, but gradually others filled in the seats. I glared menacingly at anyone that sat too close. Nikki was burrowed into my side, and my arm was wrapped around her protectively. The others gave us a wide berth, or as wide as they could in a train compartment. When the boys left to change, the girls huddled even closer together as if to protect themselves from a chilly wind.

_I like that analogy, _I thought. _Nikki and I are like a chilly wind._

Seven hours- seven boring, torturous hours- later, we arrived at Hogsmeade Station. Nikki and I got off along with a group of older students. It was almost as if there was a bubble around us, keeping everyone else out. I liked it that way.

The little girl beside me slipped her hand into mine. "I'm scared, Annie," she whispered.

I squeezed her hand. "I know," I said. "It's okay. You know I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Nikki knew, and she nodded.

I didn't know. There was only so much one can do with a voice, and that was all I had going for me.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, follow me!"

Nikki and I shared a look. _Should we go? _I nodded uncertainly.

The man leading the first years gave Nikki and me an odd look. "I think you should be with the res' of them- the older kids," he said to me.

I cleared my throat. "Ahem, I _am_ a first year..." I trailed off. The man still looked confused, but he let us stay with the group. He didn't comment on our lack of robes.

The boat ride was amazing. Would you believe it, that we got one all to ourselves? Nikki gasped and laughed as we got our first glimpse of Hogwarts. It really was beautiful, the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The school strongly resembled a castle, with grey stone walls and towers. There was a forest off to the side.

I smiled along with my companion, but I was more worried than I would let her see. What if we were thrown out? What if I had to leave Nikki behind? What if-?

What if there was a reason my dad didn't want me here, and that was because it wasn't safe? What had I dragged Nikki into?


	3. Chapter III

**_III_**

Once we stepped off the boats and onto solid land, the man that acted as our guide pounded on the door. It was immediately opened by a woman with grey-streaked hair.

"That will be all, Hagrid. I can take them from here." Hagrid nodded and trudged away, glancing back at us with the same puzzled expression as before.

The woman led us into a lobby-like room and began a speech that she'd obviously said many times before. "My name is Professor McGonagall. Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here, your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup."

She looked around at each of us, and she finally noticed Nikki and me. "I wasn't aware of any new exchange students this year," she said.  
Nikki and I looked at each other worriedly. I spoke up. "We aren't exchange students."

Professor McGonagall raised one eyebrow. "Oh?"

I continued, praying that she wouldn't kick us out. "We didn't know where else to go. I know that she's three years early, and I don't even know if I'm a witch, but if I am then I'm about six years late. But, please..."

"Very well. If you aren't sorted, then we will make arrangements for you two to live somewhere." She pushed open a door and we all filed into a large room.

It was grandly decorated, and had five tables- four for the students and one for the staff. The students' tables were all different colors: red and gold, green and silver, blue and bronze, and black and yellow. I noticed Hagrid at the staff's table, talking animatedly to a much smaller man.

McGonagall fetched a tall wooden stool and a dirty, frayed, patchy hat. Imagine our surprise when it started to sing!

We didn't listen to more than a few words at the beginning, because then Professor McGonagall came over to ask Nikki and me our names.

Once the song was finished, McGonagall pulled out a scroll. "Abbot, Lydia!"

And so the Sorting began. I paid little attention to the names, at least until "Harrison, Nicole" was called. I nudged the terrified girl forward, whispering, "Go on, it's fine, you'll do fine," until she took the first step.

As a seven-year-old, Nikki was much shorter than the other first years had been. The other students noticed this immediately, and started whispering amongst themselves. I gave the entire hall the evil eye, scaring the fudge out of some of the younger ones.

Nikki hoisted herself onto the stool and put the hat on her head. It slipped down until the brim hovered just above her collarbone. Some people started laughing, and it was all I could do to stop myself from beating the stuffing out of them. I could imagine the blood rising to Nikki's cheeks.

She sat there for barely a minute before the hat bellowed, "**NOT READY!**" Nikki pulled her head out of the hat, her hair floating around her, sticking out at all angles. She ran back to me and hid her face in my stomach. I stroked her hair, doing my best to comfort her.

After a few minutes, my name was called. "Lyon, Anastasia!" I let Nikki go and walked up to the hat, holding my head high. There was silence- absolute silence- as I sat down on the stool and put on the hat.

_Hello, _the hat said in my mind.

_Hello_, I thought back.

_Let's get to business, shall we? You have great courage, great cunning, great compassion, and great intelligence. Where to put you...?_

_Where would Nikki have gone? _I asked.

_I don't know. She may change by the time she is old enough to control her magic. As for you... I think you would do best in _**GRYFFINDOR!**

Well, okay then. I strolled back to the line of first years, grabbed Nikki's hand, and walked to the red and gold table. We sat at the far corner, and everyone near us scooted farther away. Nikki started crying into my T-shirt, and I spent the rest of the Sorting singing quietly in her ear. Just as I wanted her to, she calmed down and eventually fell asleep.

Once the last name was called, food appeared on the plates along the length of the table. I didn't bother waking Nikki up, I just pulled a bit extra onto another plate, and I even stuffed some in my pockets. Only then did I take food for myself.

About halfway into dessert, two boys walked around the table and plunked onto the empty space next to me.

"Can I help you?" I growled.

They exchanged glances. "Well-" the one with black hair and glasses started.

"We- um-" A boy with shoulder-length black hair and grey eyes stuttered.

"Nothing. Never mind."

I watched them get back up and go back to their seats, rolling my eyes. If anything, the other Gryffindors moved even farther away from us.

At the end of the meal, a boy and a girl called for the first-years to follow them. I shook Nikki awake. "Nikki, it's time to go to bed. Shh, come on, you're staying with me." Nikki blinked and rubbed her eyes, and we trailed behind the group of eleven-year-olds. I held her hand in my own, swinging it back and forth to keep her awake. She still needed to eat.

After a series of moving staircases and false doors, we finally arrived at a portrait of an overweight woman in a pink gown. She was drinking heartily from a ruby-encrusted goblet and hiccupping every few seconds.

"Lionheart," the older girl said to the portrait. It swung open, revealing a circle cut out of the wall. On the other side was a sitting room decorated entirely with red and gold. The girl and the boy took turns reciting the history of Gryffindor House. I tuned out until I heard the words I'd been waiting for the past half hour. "Girls' dormitories are on the left, boys' are on the right."

Nikki and I trudged up the long spiral staircase. I picked a room at the far end of the second level with _First Years _on a golden plaque stuck to the door. I sat down on the bed furthest from the door and patted the quilt beside me. Nikki sat as well, yawning.

"You need to eat something first," I told her, pulling out the food. She practically inhaled it, and everything was gone within a few minutes. She pulled back the covers and lied down, falling asleep almost immediately. I curled up around Nikki, and I slowly drifted off as well.


	4. Chapter IV

_**IV**_

I woke up while the sky was still dark. Nikki's gentle snores filled the room. Making sure I didn't wake her up, I climbed out of bed and tiptoed out of the room, noting the other beds' vacancy. I doubted that anyone else was up this early- it had to be that no one else chose this room. Of course, that was what I'd planned for, that no one else would bother walking this far to get here. That didn't stop me from feeling the tiniest twinge of- regret? No. I was just lonely, I supposed. Even I had to feel it sometimes.

I bounded down the stairs with the biggest smile I could muster on my face, to make up for the sorrow I'd felt only moments before. Just as I'd thought, there was no one else in the common room. I decided to explore the castle. I would come back for Nikki when it got light out.

Before stepping outside, I tried to remember the password to the portrait. "Lionheart," I said to myself, pushing on the back of the painting. It swung open easily. The woman (the Fat Lady, I learned later) depicted on the portrait giggled.

"You're up early," she remarked. I flashed her a grin and walked on, wandering up staircases and down corridors. I would learn my way around the castle the way I learned everything else- through hard experience.

I don't know what floor I was on when I finally saw sunlight filtering in through the windows. I was pretty high up, I think- not quite in a tower, but almost.

Soon after, people began filling the halls, bleary-eyed and heading to breakfast. I retraced my steps easily, surprisingly, and made it back to the Gryffindor Tower. After stating the password, I collected Nikki and dragged her to the Great Hall.

We were stared at, sure, but this time with less wariness. I don't know that we were any less of a curiosity to them, but some of the novelty had worn off overnight. Nikki and I sat down in the same place we had the night before, and, same as at the Welcoming Feast, the other Gryffindors drew back.

_And here I was, thinking that Gryffindors are brave, _I thought.

Almost as if she'd heard, and wanted to prove me wrong, a girl with fiery red hair like my own approached us. "Hello!" she said brightly. Nikki slid her hand into mine. I felt it, too, the false cheeriness. This girl _did _have something to prove.

In an unspoken agreement, neither Nikki nor I said anything. If this girl really did want to be friendly, she would talk on her own.

She did. "My name is Lily, Lily Evans. You're Anastasia-" she pointed to me, squinting as if trying to remembering something, "-and you're Nicole. Right?"

Nikki and I both nodded.

Lily didn't take the hint, and sat down beside me. My eyebrows rose, but she didn't seem to notice. "I'm a fifth year Prefect, and I decided to be your guide." She gestured around the Hall with her entire arm, as if illustrating a fascinating world that I couldn't see.

I glanced down at Nikki at the same time she glanced up at me. We both seemed to be thinking the same thing: _Is she serious?_

Lily sat by us all through breakfast, even as Professor McGonagall came by with our schedule.

"Nikki is staying with me," I told the professor, leaving no room for argument. McGonagall nodded, tapping my schedule.

My first class was Charms, with Professor Flitwick. Professor Flitwick was a small man, easily a few centimeters shorter than Nikki. He gave Nikki and I an odd look- like I hadn't had enough- but continued calling roll.

We started out copying the theory of Charms. I was a bit relieved; I wasn't eager to embarrass myself by not having a wand to use.

_That's right,_ I thought. _I need to see Professor McGonagall about getting a wand._

I was in luck, because that first day, September 2nd, was a Friday. McGonagall said she would take Nikki and I to Ollivander's on Saturday.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That first day was also the day I saw Narcissa. I'd been an idiot not to realize that she attended Hogwarts. After all, she had a wand and magic. It made sense.

It was at lunch. I saw her come in late, stuffing something in her bag. Without any hesitation, I got up from my seat and followed my first magical friend to the Slytherin table. Of course, I'd learned about the age-old feud between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses, but I didn't care. Both needed to grow up and get over it, anyway, and maybe this would help speed up the process.

I caught her eye. She looked like a terrified rabbit, staring into my eyes. She'd seen me yesterday, I realized. She was ignoring me. _She_ cared about the feud and her social standing.

I kept walking anyway, braced for the worst.

"Hey," I said softly to Narcissa.

Her eyes widened even more, and she looked around for help. Receiving none, she said, "Who are you?"

There it was. I wouldn't let it get farther.

One of the boys sitting around Narcissa grabbed my wrist. I tried yanking it back, but his hold was too tight. "What are you doing over here?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Let me go," I sang quietly. He did, immediately, as if my skin was hot to the touch.

I walked back to my bench. Nikki was waiting patiently for me. "Was that Narcissa?" she asked as soon as I sat down.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, hugging me.

Lily sat with Nikki and I again during the last part of dinner, keeping up a steady stream of chatter the entire time. We learned to tune the talkative Prefect out, but never to the point of rudeness.

Nikki decided that she would do her best to help me with my homework. "It'll help prepare me for when I'm a first year," she said.

In Charms, Transfiguration- that was the class that Professor McGonagall taught, and Potions, our only homework was an essay on the first chapters in our textbooks(I borrowed mine from the teachers. Nikki read through all the information and promptly fell asleep.

I sighed. _I guess I'm alone,_ I thought, covering her with a blanket.

By the end of the night, my essays were finished. When I looked up from my parchment the last time, sunlight streamed in through the window, casting red and orange shadows across the carpet. I rose from my completed parchment and went to the window, just watching. Soon enough the dawn faded.

Then I remembered that today I would get a wand. I rushed around, getting dressed and ready. I woke Nikki, raced downstairs and was out the door, heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. Nikki barely kept up. I gobbled down a few pieces of toast and downed a glass of pumpkin juice. Once Nikki was finished as well, we got up and walked over to Professor McGonagall.

"Are you ready?" she asked briskly.

I flashed her a grin. "Definitely," I breathed.


	5. Chapter V

**_V  
_**

Diagon Alley was beautiful. Everything I could have hoped for was all there, right in front of me. I wanted to stop at so many stores, but I kept myself going in a straight line, right behind McGonagall. Nikki was clinging tightly to my hand.

Finally, we entered a store called 'Ollivander's'. A man whose hair was nearly white turned to look at us.

"Ah, a customer," he said. His eyes immediately went to me. "This is her?"

McGonagall nodded.

The man rubbed his hands together. Then he flicked his wand, and a measuring tape started measuring every available inch of my skin- even the distance between my nostrils!

Once this was finished, the man introduced himself. "My name is Mr. Ollivander, dear." He turned and disappeared behind a tall shelf with what looked like shoe-boxes stacked in it. He came back with a box and set it on the desk in front of me, opened the lid, and gestured to the wand inside.

I picked it up and immediately shattered every bit of glass in the store. Ollivander chuckled and flicked his wand, repairing everything. "It seems that this one isn't too fond of you, my dear."

First an hour, then two hours passed. After roughly a million wands, I ran out.

Ollivander didn't seem at all put out. "Quite a difficult one, aren't you?" he said cheerfully.

I glared at him. Was I the only one who seemed frustrated by this?

He pulled out another box.

"Wait," I said, confused. "I thought you said there weren't any more wands to try?"

He just smiled.

I huffed and picked up the wand. It looked different from the others, but I couldn't figure out how.

"Holly with dragon blood, thirteen inches, reasonably supple, powerful in every type of magic," Ollivander whispered reverently.

I shrugged. "Sounds good to me," I said, picking it up. Suddenly there was a warmth in my hand, and it spread all the way to the tips of my toes.

"That's it, that's the one!" Ollivander cried.

_Finally._

McGonagall paid for the wand, handing Ollivander seven gold coins. Then the three of us walked out. Nikki was jumping, and I felt just as excited.

_Magic, magic, I can finally do magic!_

_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

That evening at dinner, I didn't eat a bite. I had a book propped in front of me, and I mouthed the incantations.

"Wingardium Leviosa," I said firmly, swishing and flicking my wand toward a roll, following the instructions to the letter.

Sure enough, the roll rose- right into the shaggy-haired boy's hand. He ate it in two bites. "Hey, thanks," he said cheekily. I glared at him for a moment. "I'm serious."

I shrugged. "I'm sure you are," I said, using magic to fetch another roll.

The boy snickered. "That's my name. Sirius, S-I-R-I-U-S."

I blushed a bit, then composed myself, just in time for his first question.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, plopping onto the bench across from me.

_Hell_, I thought. "Nowhere important," I lied nonchalantly. Nikki grasped my hand under the table.

Sirius sighed. "Is that going to be your answer every time I ask you something?"

"Sure."

After that I ignored him, but he stayed. I found myself tensing every time he moved, waiting for something to happened. I clutched my wand tightly in my fist.

Fairly soon, I'd mastered every spell in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade_ 1. I looked up and the Great Hall was empty, except for a sleeping Nikki. Sighing, I collected my book, stowed away my wand, and carried Nikki back to our dormitory.

"Lionheart," I whispered to the portrait, trying not to wake up the snoozing girl.

_Lionheart. You were put in Gryffindor for a reason. Be a Lionheart!_

I tucked Nikki into bed and kissed her forehead before heading downstairs. The common room was still full, and I spotted Sirius and three other boys in armchairs by the fireplace.

"Hello," I said.


	6. Chapter VI

**_VI_**

I was greeted with two broad grins and four pairs of curious eyes.

"Hi Anastasia!" said Sirius cheerfully.

"Annie," I corrected him with a smile.

This seemed to break the ice with the other three, and they said in unison, "Hey Annie!"

I stepped forward. "Can I sit with you guys?" I twisted the hem of my sleeve in my hand.

"Sure."

I sat in a fifth chair, a little farther away from the rest, but Sirius patted the arm of his.

_Lionheart,_ I reminded myself. I got up and seated myself on the arm of Sirius's chair. I was rewarded with four grins.

They didn't continue the conversation they'd been in the middle of before I came in, instead turning to me.

"How old are you?"

"Why are you a first year?"

"You are a witch, right? You wouldn't have been sorted if you aren't."

"Who is that little girl you always eat with?"

I held up my hand. "Guys, stop! I can't answer all of you at once. First of all, I think I'm fifteen or sixteen. I'm a first year because I've had absolutely no training before I came here. I think I'm a witch- I can use a wand, at least. And Nikki is my foster-sister, I've been taking care of her for a while now."

The interrogation went on for at least an hour, at which point they decided to go to bed.

I noticed Remus, the least boisterous one, glance out the window at the waxing crescent moon. My imagination went into overdrive, but I forced myself to dismiss it.

I wasn't tired, even though it was very late. The common room was empty. I put one foot in front of the other, then stretched it out to the side. Putting all of my weight on my left side, I swept the outstretched foot around. There was a beat in my head, and I started moving to it, faster and faster. I was dancing, for the first time in years.

I felt beautiful and wild and graceful, turning and spinning and swaying. It was wonderful, but I still couldn't understand why the Marked people would want to stop me from dancing.

Then it hit me- my voice gave me power over others, so maybe dancing did the same thing!

I smacked myself in the forehead. "I'm such an _idiot,_" I murmured.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I couldn't believe how much time passed, just dancing. I only realized that morning had come when a small gathering of glassy-eyed students stood blocking the stairs. I stopped moving immediately.

"Forget," I said before I could stop myself. It was habit, to erase any memory of my ability. It was always what I said after I'd gotten what I wanted.

_What _did_ I want? _

The crowd dispersed, mumbling about how weird it was that they'd all zoned out at exactly the same time.

"Whoops," I giggled.

Nikki came downstairs much later. "G'morning Annie!" she cried, throwing her arms around me. Then, "Is something wrong?" She pulled back and looked me in the eye.

Pulling her up to sit in my lap, I told my best friend what I'd found out about my new ability.

"But- isn't that good?" Nikki frowned slightly. "Why do I get the feeling you're upset about it?"

I rubbed my temple. "It's just that I don't need anything else separating me from the rest of the world. We both know how much I love being different, but one thing is enough. _Two _things..." I trailed off, but Nikki understood exactly what I meant.

My baby sister curled up against my chest. "If it helps," she said, "I want to be like you. You're the best person I know. You could take anything from anyone, whatever you want, but you don't. This is just another thing to help you survive in a world that wants to destroy us. All of us."

"We should get to breakfast if we want to eat," was all I said.

I didn't eat, but Nikki did. I was busy thinking about what she'd said.

_She's right. I could have done whatever I wanted, and I would've gotten away with it. I could set the world on fire, and the people would help me._

I sighed and glanced over at my new friends. Sirius caught my eye and beamed, showing straight white teeth. I smiled tentatively back, and the other three followed Sirius's gaze to me. James beckoned me over.

Nikki'd seen. "Go on," she ordered around a mouthful of sausage. I kissed her on the top of her head and got up, moving to sit with the boys.

The entire Gryffindor table went silent, causing the Hufflepuff table to go silent, which caused the Ravenclaw table to go silent, which caused the Slytherin table to go silent. The sudden lack of noise made the staff stop talking, and in that seemingly short walk, I had all eyes on me.

_Enough, _I thought.

"Stop," I sang. The chatter and laughter started up again so quickly that for a moment I thought I'd imagined it.

"Hi, again," I said to the boys. They all repeated the greeting back to me.

We talked for the rest of the meal. I checked on Nikki every few seconds. She was doing the same for me, I knew.

Nikki tagged along with me to the Black Lake. It was Sunday, so there were no classes. As soon as we sat down, I realized exactly how exhausted two days without sleep made me. I fell asleep, leaning against a tree.

_It was dark. I moved forward cautiously, my arms held out in front of me. Silky strands of what felt like hair brushed past my face. It was difficult to breathe without getting some in my mouth or nose. I couldn't see or hear anything. _

_"Welcome, Anastasia," someone hissed. _

_"Who are you? Where am I?" I was trying hard not to panic, but I wasn't quite succeeding. There was something about this that didn't _feel _like a dream. _

_Suddenly the darkness was gone, replaced by a large stone cavern. A gigantic snake-like thing was coiled up beside a boy. The boy looked to be about my age, but his eyes told a different story. _

_"Who are you?" I repeated again, this time in a whisper._

_He inclined his head. "I am Lord Voldemort," he said. _

_The name seemed vaguely familiar, as if I'd heard it as a child, but could not match it with a face._

_Lord Voldemort sat on the floor. "Come," he said gently._

_I wasn't entirely certain he couldn't hurt me, but I sat anyway. He brushed the hair out of my face with one long-fingered hand. "You're a special one," he told me. I waited for the blood to come rushing into my cheeks, but it never did. _

_"Where is this?" I asked._

_He leaned closer to my ear. "The Chamber of Secrets," he whispered._

_The way he said it made it sound so dirty, and if I could have blushed I would have. "What am I doing here?"_

_"I brought you here. You need to know something before it's too late."_

_"Are you going to tell me now?"_

_He was about to reply, but the entire scene disappeared suddenly._

My eyes snapped open. The sun was shining right in my eyes.

_"_Were you dreaming?" Nikki asked. Her hand was on my shoulder. "Was it a nightmare?"

I shook my head. There was something missing, something I knew I should remember. "Yeah," I said simply. I couldn't possibly explain to Nikki what I couldn't understand myself.

She shrugged and smiled. "Do you think we should go in? I reckon it's almost dinnertime, and I'm sure you'd want to change." She wrinkled her nose, looking at my rumpled robes.

"Sure."

It seemed almost as if she could tell that something was wrong, but Nikki said nothing as we walked back to the castle.

What was it? What couldn't I remember?


	7. Chapter VII

OK, guys, I know I haven't really been big on the A/N's, and you don't even really need to read this one. I just have an extra. If you want to see the First Year Gryffindor class schedule, click on this link: drawings/d/1eXARypQfsZskS90bD50jLQ4K4GicRdLIXsOeH4 kesiI/edit

Also, _The Masque of the Red Death_ is by Edgar Allan Poe, not me. The Harry Potter series is by J.K. Rowling, again, not me. Anyone you recognize is _not mine._

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Weeks passed, but it felt like years. Nikki never found anyone else to talk to, so she tagged along with me all day, every day. I was glad she did; she was there for everything, and she was always there to talk to me.

One thing that bothered me, though, was that she never had any _problems._ I found myself shutting up because I felt like she would talk if I just gave her the chance.

I gave her chance after chance, but she had nothing to say to me.

"Are you happy?" I asked her one day. She looked at me, confused, and nodded her head. Nikki's eyebrows were furrowed together as she tried to puzzle out my question.

I felt like crying. My best friend, my baby sister, was happy with just me.

_Just me._

_Just._

_Me._

That hurt me more than I would ever admit.

And who was I? I was no more than a child, certainly not qualified to be responsible for another life. Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, it made no difference to me. I wasn't old enough. I was too old.

But Nikki didn't care how old I was. She cared about the girl she'd found sleeping in a tree, the girl who'd helped her survive until they reached someplace safe.

Why couldn't I shake the feeling that maybe she would've been better off without me?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I may have feared the nights and the thoughts that swept in along with the stars, but the day was always perfect. Nikki was growing, I was growing, but I felt as if I were already touching the sky. My skin had a glow to it, and more than anything else I was a Lionheart. Everything that I never would done before, I did now, as long as I wouldn't get in trouble for it. I went where I wanted to go, and I talked to who I wanted to talk to.

Except, of course, for Narcissa. I understood, in a tilt-your-head-and-squint-your-eyes sort of way, why she was ignoring me. Her status was _everything _to her, and why shouldn't it be? It was the way she was raised. She was the only kind soul in Hell, and I doubted I could ever see her otherwise.

We dragged ourselves into December, and I slept less and less. My nights were spent staring out the window in our dormitory.

Nikki and I signed up to stay at Hogwarts. We were the only one's in Gryffindor who didn't have somewhere to go.

I danced every night when I couldn't sleep. It was a way of numbing my thoughts, becoming absorbed in the beat and the movement.

Every morning, I would examine my face in the mirror. I always looked fresh and healthy, with a twinkle in my eyes that I knew wasn't real.

My grades only improved. I absorbed the information I was offered like a sponge. There wasn't a spell that I couldn't master by the end of the class. I wanted the Christmas Break to be over, so I could get back into the classroom.

The Christmas Feast began shortly after seven o'clock. I had a knot between my shoulder blades, and I was on edge the entire time. The only thing I really remember is when Dumbledore urged us all to sing Christmas carols. I kept my mouth closed. Who knows what could've happened if I'd started singing as well?

"_Deck the hall with boughs of holly,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_'Tis the season to be jolly,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Don we now our gay apparel_  
_Troll the ancient Christmas carol,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_See the blazing yule before us,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Strike the harp and join the chorus._  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Follow me in merry measure,_  
_While I tell of Christmas treasure,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Fast away the old year passes,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Hail the new, ye lads and lasses!_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._  
_Sing we joyous all together,_  
_Heedless of the wind and weather,_  
_Fa la la la la la la la la._"

The last part, _heedless of the wind and weather_, caused nearly the entire Hall to chuckle. The ceiling showed clearly that both were in abundance; I couldn't tell whether there was rain or hail, but whatever it was, it pelted the roof noisily. The occasional crack of thunder stopped all singing and talking within the hall, if only for a moment, reminding me of the grandfather clock in _The Masque of the Red Death_ striking the hour. Just thinking about it gave me the shivers.

_Nothing's going to happen, nothing's going to happen, nothing's going to happen,_ I chanted to myself. It wasn't very convincing.

The Feast ended without incident. Nikki, as usual, was nearly unconscious. I lifted her up, staggered a bit, then started walking.

One thing you should never, ever do when someone is jumpy is try to get their attention through physical contact. Nikki was sitting against the wall in a flash, with me standing in front of her with my wand ready. I recognized Professor Slughorn after a few seconds. "Sorry, Professor," I said sheepishly, lowering my wand.

He waved his hand. "Not to worry, Ms. Lyon. Now, I was wondering..."

My Potions instructor and I stood there, talking, for several interminable minutes before he finally got to the point. He invited me to join the 'Slug Club' because of my... my grades? He didn't really say, he only said something about a Swelling Solution. I accepted, after he took a breath at last.

I picked up Nikki once more, and we were on our way. The tense feeling that something would happen still gripped me. I was curious just as much as I wished that we would have an uneventful night.

Just as I had every night for the past few weeks, I danced while I should've been sleeping.


	8. Chapter VIII

I didn't see the boy with the Slytherin crest for the longest time. I don't know when he came inside, or how long he stood with the portrait hanging open. When the sun shone through my web of movement, I turned toward the fireplace. (There was no flame in the fireplace, as the house elves often stood entranced before they could get anything done. On the first night this happened, I asked them not to come here while Nikki and I were the only ones occupying the tower. I don't think they would've agreed so easily, if they hadn't still been under my power.) I saw movement in the corner of my eye and I whirled around. I was still on edge, and I didn't even have to think before my wand was in my hand.

The boy looked remarkably like Sirius, except perhaps a year or two younger. His hair was shorter and neater, and his eyes were the same stormy grey. He wasn't as tall as Sirius, and he was less handsome, but I felt a tiny surge of the love a girl has for her sibling.

I waited until his eyes snapped back into focus. My wand was very, very close to my hand, in case something went wrong. "What are you doing in here?" I asked, not angrily. _Relax._

He opened his mouth, then shut it again. I already had a pretty good idea of what was happening- his friends were waiting outside. I doubted he was here to do much more than perhaps redecorate the common room. Whatever it was, I didn't really care.

"Please, sit," I said, gesturing to an armchair. He looked warily at me, and didn't move. "_Sit!_" I sang. He did.

His eyes darted around the room. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Annie Lyon," I said shortly.

"Pureblood?"

"No muggle blood."

He frowned, leaning forward. "What do you mean by that?"

I could've kicked myself. "Nothing. Never mind. _Let it go,_" I sang the last part quietly.

His eyes went glassy for just a moment before clearing again. "Annie Lyon as in Anastasia Lyon? The elderly first year?"

_That's better. _"Yep, that's me. Can't you see the wrinkles?" I replied with a smile.

"What are you doing awake this late? Or... early..." he trailed off.

I laughed at his expression. There wasn't much of Sirius's cockiness in this boy. "I could ask you the same. What's your name? It's only fair, I told you mine."

"Regulus Black," he said simply.

So he _was _Sirius's brother! Well, what do you know. "It's nice to meet you, Regulus Black," I said cheekily.

Regulus smiled back at me, relaxing marginally. "I'd better go," he said after a few moments of awkward silence. Regulus got up to leave, and I didn't do anything to stop him.

"Just tell them it worked," I said to his back. "I'll go along with whatever it was."

He pulled on the portrait and swung it open. He looked back at me before closing it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was nine days later when the others came back. I felt only a tiny bit of joy in seeing the Marauders again. It seemed my only true friend was Nikki, but how would I know? How would I know what having a friend felt like?

It was three days after that when I decided to go talk to Regulus during lunch. I rose from my seat and walked across the room.

The silence was complete. I looked at Dumbledore's face; he seemed thrilled. His eyes twinkled like twin stars. McGonagall didn't look up. Slughorn looked puzzled and a bit excited.

Regulus's back was to me, so it was his friends that saw me first. They didn't seem pleased, with tightly-clenched fists and tense jaws. I wasn't discouraged, though. Regulus turned around, finally, and he didn't seem upset like his friends. He seemed to be warning me away with his eyes, but I ignored him.

There was a space beside Regulus, not quite wide enough for a boy, but I was tiny. I put my legs over the bench and sat. The boy on my other side scooted away to make room for me. I took the extra room, giving Regulus a little space.

I ate without a word, and gradually the buzz of conversation started up again. There was none at the Slytherin table, however.

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I ate at the Slytherin table when I felt like it, which was frequently, and eventually they learned to ignore me. I learned a lot from them, just by listening. This world was fascinating. The Dark Lord is getting stronger, one said. He was quickly shushed by his friends.

I made a note to ask someone about the Dark Lord.


	9. Chapter IX

**_IX_**

The days became an endless swirl of bittersweet nothings. On the one hand, I had Nikki, and the Marauders, and soon I might have Regulus. On the other, Lord Voldemort filled my head when I slept, I was pretty sure I'd lost Narcissa, and I had no idea what my captors were planning. Was I important enough that they would come after me?

Nikki alone knew how worried I was about the mess my life was. Nikki alone knew the whole story.

"Little Ann! You need to see this!" Lily sprinted up the corridor and caught my arm before I could say anything. I ran with her- it was either that or be dragged.

We finally stopped, right outside the common room. "First," I said, holding up my hand, "what on earth is this important? Second, why are you ac- Never mind. Let's go in." _What is wrong with you, Annie? She's being perfectly polite, and you... no. Just, no. _I'd been about to ask the Prefect why she was acting like we were friends.

_Are we friends?_

No. No, I don't think so.

"Chiggernaut," Lily squeaked to the portrait. The Fat Lady gave us a fond smile and let us in.

"Okay, what am I supposed to be looking... at..." I trailed off.

_Oh, no. _Nikki was in a bubble, a very strong bubble, and the Gryffindors were batting her around the room. Nikki's face was green, and occasionally she would hang upside down for a few moments.

Lily frowned. "I don't know the counterspell. Do your _big-bad-scary _thing," she said.

I walked over and plucked Nikki, bubble and all, out of the air. "If someone doesn't tell me the counterspell in the next five seconds, then somebody's going to the hospital wing. Got it?"

Some of the older students were holding in their laughter.

_Five._

_Four._

_Three._

_Two._

_On-_

"_R__emissionis bullam,_" someone said. The bubble popped, and Nikki landed on the floor. The common room was roaring with laughter.

"_It's okay, Nikki. You don't hurt anywhere, and you're very, very sleepy. Go to sleep, Annie will take care of everything._" Her eyes shut, and I handed her to Lily.

I rolled up my sleeves. "I'm about to maim everyone in this room unless _someone tells me who's responsible._" I used my ability for the last part, and who should come forward but James and Sirius.

I grabbed their wrists and dragged them outside, then into an empty classroom. I put wards up, then turned to face them.

After about half an hour of my screaming at them, Sirius put his hand over my mouth. "The girl has a powerful set of lungs," he told James with a grin.

My knee went up and into his groin. His hand fell off of my face and he doubled up.

"Merlin, woman," James cried, helping his friend up. I slapped him in the face. Okay, twice.

Sirius was chanting "don't hit a girl" to himself.

After a while, I got bored and sang for the two boys to fight each other. They did. When they were both black and blue pretty much everywhere, I released them.

They were both at dinner that night, just as bruised and cut. I sat at the Slytherin table again. Regulus and the others were outright laughing at James and Sirius.

"I wonder who did that?" one said.

I couldn't resist bragging. "I did."

They all stared at me. I hadn't spoken at all any of the times I'd sat over here.

They obviously didn't believe me.

I was okay with that. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place.


End file.
